jerrymahoney

That is all well and good to write on here but, without suggesting such would ever be the case, such an explanation would be laughed out of Court.

Even if the whole set-up is illegal, I would not expect anything to happen unless there is some situation like one of the immigration officers, who is being charged with offenses non-related to the agent immigration set-up, decides, for a plea deal, to implicate other officials in accepting 10-15000 baht for a service that costs 1900 baht even if under Section 35 of the Immigration Act (1979) they have the authority to waive requirements under the prevailing Police Order.

If it isn't illegal, then why do you need plausible deniability?

Good luck with that one.

Maybe so -- but the application whether in Thailand or ex-Thailand is a binding legal document where the applicant certifies that the medical data provided is accurate and complete.

Agenda? My favorite insurance post was the guy who had a claim denied because, when the insurer reviewed his medical records and found something that was not included in the application, he said OH I forgot about that.

So does that mean you did not consider buying health insurance when you first arrived here after the spur of the moment? Maybe it's just an American thing, but one of the reasons I did relocate to Thailand almost 20 years ago is that good individual health policies were available to me here that were not available in the USofA.

Then your planning wasn't very good.

So if that's a given, you can either have planned for it or you can't afford it.

no but 50's can work out better.

Yes -- but you said "get" not "maintain". If you cannot afford it, it is a problem. But it is also a function of when you first took out the insurance as, when younger, there are generally fewer if any pre-existing conditions attached to the policy.

No -- it describes the set-up wherein the agent receives 15,000 baht but the complicit immigration officer can say 'I only received 1900 baht as in this here receipt to the expat.' BTW: Thai Criminal Code 1956 (ประเทศไทยทางอาญา พ.ศ. รหัส 2499) Section 144. Granting of Benefit by Official Whoever, giving, offering or agreeing to give the property or any other benefit to the official, member of State Legislative Assembly, member of Provincial Assembly or member of Municipal Assembly so as to induce such person to do or not to do any act, or to delay the doing of any act contrary to one's own duty, shall be imprisoned not out of five years or fined not out of ten thousand Baht, or both.

Thank you. I like my 20 year agentless existence in Thailand just fine.

Maybe the coup leaders of 2014 who are still running the country in 2023 feel the same way.

Of course they are illegal -- that's why you need an agent for plausible deniability.

Maybe the Russians want to have a driver who speaks Russian, and the Chinese want a driver who speaks Chinese, etc. And saving a few baht is not part of the equation.

And i reckon that is because a lot of them didn't bother to get the insurance before they became aging.

If it all were on the up-&-up, there would be a FLEXIBILITY window at your local immigration office and you would pay your 15.,000 baht or so and get a receipt for your extension. No need for setting up a plausible deniability scenario.

If some people can choose to live their lives rationalizing that paying a bribe is ok, I no longer let it bother me. I remember years back, saying that I had just come back from Bangkok to get a US Embassy income letter, and some guy smugly saying "Oh I just pay an agent" and, not saying a word, but getting up and leaving with a thanks to my host.

But don't forget as per Police Order it is either 3 OR 4:

Where to meet Hiso Thai women? First class lounges domestic or international at Suvarnabhumi.

When I first moved full-time to Thailand, I used to hang out a bit at a nearby bar-farang. The guys there were often with their 'significant others' and used to ask me, why my girlfriend never comes? . I asked her why not? She said I don't want to listen to you talking in English which I don't understand. I said you can hang out with the other girls/women there. She then said most emphatically: I will chooser MY OWN friends, thank you very much!

I have had private medical insurance while living in Thailand since 2004. I will call my total claims paid versus total premiums paid close to a break-even.

Has there ever been any further information as to what was this dispute as in item 2 c. Metro UK report to reprieve.org ? (c. Mr. Miller being involved in a dispute with certain persons on the island of Koh Phangan)

I don't know -- I have never used a broker in Thailand or USofA. Always direct.